TSD DIARIES: Lucky One

Chapter 003

Taking a shortcut to one of her safehouses, Hye-Bin took a quick shower and changed herself into similar outfit that she had on earlier, while running away from the thugs. Before heading out, the female had noticed a pair of scissors on a table next to the back door and without hesitation grabbed them, headed over to the shabby bathroom and stared into the cracked mirror. A michevious glint was shimmering in her eyes as she rose the cold blade against her long blonde curls and cut them off. Piece by piece the hair fell into the rusty sink and minutes later, Hye-Bin stood in front of her new reflection - her long hair had been replaced with shoulder-length bob and the smirk on her lips was anything else rather than pleasant.
"Game on," she murmured and left the small apartment, not caring to clean up. Handing the keys to her neighbour - old woman, who had been mute all of her life and who had been waiting for Hye-Bin in the hallway.
"Flush them."
This hideout had been cleared out and it was of no use. No one would move in there, after horrible murders taken place. Not by Caedis, whom took use of places abandoned by rest of the world. Sure, they seemingly had the pattern, but it was only the first layer of the complex mystery behind Caedis and Song Hye-Bin.

Taking the bus to her stepfather' business, she took her sweet-time and knew that getting in there was going to be a hassle, as she had changed her looks quite a bit since the last time she walked through those doors. Having the looks of a criminal, she had to be sneakier than usual, but it all offered her a great deal of fun. Being bored had never been a thing for her and it had been the reason she quit working in Chairman Song' company and took her own route. Her siblings knew that Hye-Bin had been studying a lot overseas - in US or in Europe, but it was just one big fat lie.

A call and seeing whom tried to contact her, the female smiled genuenly.
"Ah, my baby!"
"Have you reached to your destination?"
"Nah, but I am getting there."
"Noona!"
"Stop nagging me!"
"What happened then?"
Hye-Bin eyed her surroundings while standing up and holding onto the pole above her.
"I had some distractions, but don't worry, I managed myself well."
Strange choice of words, but she knew her employee would get it.
"Fine, but come straight back after your meeting."
"Ah whyyyyy? I was planning to go to amusement park, though! They are open tonight until morning. You know I have been waiting for it for months!"
"It's Minseok. He has been missing for three days."
Hye-Bin eyed the tall man in the far back of the bus for a moment, noticing the scarf that Minseok carried everywhere around the man' wrist and she swallowed.
"Just for tonight! You will join me or you'll be the miserable boyfriend working himself to death! You need to have a breather once in a while too!"
"Just make it quick, Noona. I have a bad feeling!"
"See you tonight!"
Hye-Bin chirped happily and hid the phone away, looking out of the window and feeling of how the world started to burn around her.

Minseok... oh Minseok.

--------------------------------------------------------

6 YEARS AGO

"Open the box, kid," Hye-Bin spoke to the boy across her, sitting on his bed and stared at the black velvet box on his lap.
"What is it, Noona?"
"Open it."

With shivering fingers, he slid his index finger across the imprinted logo of letter C and lingered on its lower curve. He took a deep breath and opened the lid, placing it aside. His eyes became filled with tears as he saw the slightly burnt diary, nestling in between the cheeks of red satin and nearly destroyed scarf beside it.
"You... y-y-you got it back! You got my mother's diary back!"
He had a hard time to speak, and tears were rolling over his cheeks. He had been holding onto not crying for months. He had promises to his mother not to cry anymore. He had not shed a single tear on his mother' funeral, but there he was... crying again.
"Minseok-yah," the female in front of her spoke quietly, taking ahold of his chin gently and lifting it up, "I promised to help you and I did. I never fail to keep one."
"T-t-t-thank you, Noona."
Hye-Bin shook her head and continued to smile.
"No need to thank me. I just did what was right. But..."
"B-b-but...?"
"There is something you need to know."

Clearing his throat out with a cough, Minseok managed to get some of his compsure back. Setting the box beside him, he nodded: "Tell me."
"Are you sure you can take it?"
Another nod from the young male.
"Alright," she spoke and crouched down in front of him, looking straight into his dark eyes.
"The thing is... you are still in danger. I suggest you to stay hidden and indoors as much as possible. If you can... don't ever leave the safehouse. There is a chance that you won't be able to live like everyone else and have to hide yourself rest of your life."
The truth had been spilled and with so much joy that Minseok always had within him it was nearly unbearable to brake it to the boy, yet Hye-Bin preferred him alive other than dead. Minseok had managed to crawl into her heart and she was going to take care of him whatever it takes.

A gasp after the realization had hit the young man, a gasp that broke the chilling silence.
"So I have to live hidden until they are dead?"
Hye-Bin smirked, quickly understanding that Minseok had hidden wit in him.
"Correct."
"Where are they?"
"Your father is MIA and your brother has been hiding. We know that he has been seen around Seoul, but his trail has been cold for some time. I promise I will find them and they will get what they deserve. No matter how long it takes."
Minseok deserved to be the free man again, no matter how long it took. He was her first client ever and after helping out the young man, Hye-Bin knew her life would never be the same again.

"I see...," he muttered quietly and turned to look at the destroyed scarf in the box.

A successful politician' youngest son, whom had turned to Hye-Bin after having heard of her small investigation office, kept mostly as a hobby. The suicide of his mother were in every news outlet, but Minseok had other doubts. Hye-Bin, til to that day, was trying to figure out of why that kid had chosen her out of everyone... but if he hadn't, she would have still been working that boring job in that office. With help of her friend Minji and Jongdae, the path had been dangerous, but the suicide had turned into murder and everything that they had found out lead into the corruption of Minseok' father.

Hye-Bin took something out of her pocket and placed it into Minseok' hands.
"Here," she spoke simply, "it isn't the same as your mother's, but I hope it will still offer you happiness and hope."
He looked at the scarf in his hand and he nodded, tears rolling down again, making Hye-Bin smile and stand up.
"Back your things. We are moving you tonight."

She left towards the door, but was stopped by a question: "What does C mean?"
Turning around, Hye-Bin arched an eyebrow and shrugged.
"It has always been just this letter. No special meaning, really."
"What if it became Caedis?"
"You mean murder?"
"Yea. Murder was what brought us together, after all. We could murder the darkness with light and help others like you helped me."
"Us?"
He nodded.
"You do understand that I have to quit my current life, do you?"
"I know you want to your hobby to become official profession."

Hye-Bin smiled and winked at him: "Let me think about it and I will let you know."